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A Beautiful noise, Pt. 1 (01/10/10)

It's not that I haven't been here for the past six months, but I have been elsewhere, and more than that I cannot say, in the grandest Derek Taylor tradition, except to ask "Where was I?" and admit that it's a mystery even to me, but not really, although I know that in these words lies the truth, and if the truth lies, what is to be made of such wordplay designed to both mislead and inquire?

So, sorry I've been absent, but things are looking up, for I see a a bird, a plane, and a flying man with a cape and a curly-wurly. Ah, the temptation to engage in wordplay is always and forevermore.

But here I am, back down on Earth, with the urge to continue as before, your humble servant in servitude to pop culture. To be sure, that usually means writing about melodic pop music of the '60s, '70s and today, providing that at least one or more roads lead from the artist in question to some variant of the Beatlesque, whatever that is.

Well, we do know what that is, don't we? Of course we do, and more than that I will not say, except to say that I'm glad to be back, making a whole lot of noise about the music and the movies and the TV shows and such that constitute what fulfills us, the collective sounds that together make such a beautiful noise.

Hello to you and yours, and away we go.

A Beautiful noise, Pt. 2

Alan Haber's Pure Pop Radio, if you'll pardon the plug, is this month's winner of the Little Train that Could award for Faith in Technology, in the Against All Odds division. Huffing and puffing up the cyber-tracks the past eight months with a mere shell of a server bringing up the rear, the station has finally found a server that will carry the load, run 24 hours a day and keep bathroom breaks to a minimum.

In other words, Alan Haber's Pure Pop Radio, complete with a weekly live show by yours truly, will be back in mere weeks, once again pumping the greatest melodic pop from the '60s, '70s and today out into cyberspace. When, exactly? Mark you calendars, each and every one of them, for January 20th. And be sure to listen, for what is a radio station without ears to broadcast to?

A Beautiful noise, Pt. 3

This has become something of a Pink Floydian heading kind of thing, hasn't it? Accordingly, wish you were here and welcome to the machine.

buhdge is looking for writers. If you'd fancy having a go at writing a review or a column or an article, contact me by clicking here. I'll get back to you post-haste, or right away, if that's more your bag.

Alan Haber

 

No Mann's Land (07/05/09)

A plate of hogwash served up with a side of malarkey, Michael Mann's Public Enemies is a short story--mean man robs banks, almost gets caught, mean man robs banks, almost gets caught--composed as a tiring, two-hour-plus loop. It goes south almost from the first frame, when it becomes apparent that this is a period piece shot in contemporary clothing. Shaky, hand-held cameras and colorful yet emotionless cinematography suggest a story taking place today rather than decades ago.

This is a picture which might have come alive if it were shot in black and white or tinted somehow with the dust and romanticism of yesteryear. At least the frames would have looked authentic, although that wouldn't have been enough to save it. Johnny Depp portrays notorious bank robber John Dillinger (see the real mug above) with very little emotion, almost on the level of a cold, careless fish, as if the public enemy accepted his lot in life and cared not a whit how it affected him or others. Billy Crudup makes a caricature out of J. Edgar Hoover, reducing the charismatic FBI director to a laughable, depth-free presence. Christian Bale brings a laconic sheen to Bureau of Investigation agent Melvin Purvis. Only Marion Cotillard, as Dillinger's initially-reluctant girl Billie Frechette, rises to the occasion in her fairly thankless role, revealing her character to be flawed and easily manipulated, a woman with real emotions and feelings.

Director Michael Mann seems oblivious to these problems, counting on the finished product--the ultimate character, perhaps?--to resonate with audiences. Perhaps he thought no one would notice? Mann's last great movie, The Insider, released 10 years ago, showed a mastery of the film form, delivering pleasure upon pleasure, from the most seemingly innocuous bit-parts to the brilliant lead turns from Al Pacino, who exhibited a keen understanding of 60 Minutes producer Lowell Bergman, and Russell Crowe, who delivered a knowing, electric performance--a master-craft acting class, if you will--as the insider himself.

Public Enemies is a public nuisance.

Alan Haber